Spotlight Sublist: 2023 - 3 - Jello Salads
Goon
Michael Dowse’s brilliant comedy is big on character and bigger on heart, sure to appeal to both die-hard hockey fans and sports-phobic audiences alike.
Director
Michael Dowse
Dowse’s credits include the cult classics Fubar, Fubar II and It’s All Gone Pete Tong. His film Goon was a huge critical and box-office success. The F Word won the CSA for Best Adapted Screenplay. Dowse also directed episodes of Man Seeking Woman, starring Jay Baruchel, the feature film Stuber, 8 Bit Christmas, and Coffee and Kareem. He is currently set to direct the film adaptation of the video game Just Cause and is developing a series about the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Writers
Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg, Doug Smith, Adam Frattasio
Cast
Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Marc-André Grondin, Kim Coates
Producers
Jay Baruchel, Don Carmody, André Rouleau, Ian Dimerman, David Gross
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interest
Sports
Original Language
English
Strange Brew
When her father dies suddenly, Pam (Griffin) is orphaned, and control of her family’s brewery threatens to fall into the hands of the conniving Brewmeister Smith (von Sydow). In stumble Bob and Doug, who land jobs as beer inspectors when their scheme involving a mouse in a bottle impresses the brewery brass.
Hilarity ensues as the boys attempt to foil the Brewmeister’s sinister plot to take over the world. Though the film appears at first glance to be a bonehead comedy, it is a deceptively clever farce based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Long before Wayne and Garth or Beavis and Butt-Head, there was Bob and Doug. Canada is proud to call them our own.
Directors
Rick Moranis
Moranis and Dave Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Dave Thomas
Rick Moranis and Thomas’s work on the Emmy Award–winning SCTV series earned them a place among the greatest comedians this country has ever produced. The duo came together again in 2018 for the live SCTV reunion, which was directed by Martin Scorcese and was released as a Netflix special.
Writers
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Steve De Jarnatt
Cast
Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Max von Sydow, Lynne Griffin
Producer
Louis M. Silverstein
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Classics, ESL
Original Language
English
Bon Cop Bad Cop
Ward (Feore) and Boucher (Huard) couldn’t be more different: one is an English-speaker from Toronto, the other is a French-speaker from Montreal; one never deviates from established procedure, the other is a rebel who refuses to play by the rules. The detectives soon learn that if they are to solve this lurid crime, which is linked to the world of hockey, they need to stop bickering and work together.
With uproarious performances from both leads, Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a genuinely clever take on the buddy-cop genre that will keep you captivated throughout.
Director
Érik Canuel
Canuel made music videos and TV commercials before turning to film. His features include Nez rouge and Le dernier tunnel, Barrymore, starring Christopher Plummer, and the recent Undercover Grandpa. Bon Cop Bad Cop won a Genie for Best Motion Picture and the Golden Reel Award. Next, Canuel will direct the feature film The Burning Man.
Writers
Leila Basen, Alex Epstein, Patrick Huard, Kevin Tierney
Cast
Colm Feore, Patrick Huard
Producer
Kevin Tierney
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Languages
English, French
Menteur (Compulsive Liar)
Simon’s friends and family have had enough of his compulsive lying. They try to stage an intervention for him but he refuses to accept that he has a problem. All of that changes when he wakes up to a bizarre reality where all of his lies and excuses have become true. His boss is a raving drunk, his sister-in-law is in love with him and basically everything that could go wrong does.
While everyone around him seems to think this reality is normal, his brother knows the truth and convinces him that the only way that everything can get back to normal is for him to kick his habit for good. The newest comedy from Émile Gaudrault (De Père en Flic), Menteur was a box office smash that is as funny as it is original.
Director
Émile Gaudreault
Gaudreault co-wrote Louis 19, le roi des ondes, which Ron Howard adapted into EDtv. Gaudreault both co-wrote and directed De pere en flic (the highest-grossing French-language film in Canadian history), Le vrai du faux, Le sens de l'humour and Mambo Italiano, which earned six Canadian Comedy Award nominations. He also wrote and directed De père en flic 2, and most recently, the comedy Menteur. He also co-wrote the upcoming Lignes de fuite, and is producing the English-language remake of De père en flic, Fathers and Guns.
Writers
Eric K. Boulianne, Émile Gaudreault, Sébastien Ravary
Cast
Louis-José Houde, Antoine Bertrand, Véronique Le Flaguais
Producer
Denise Robert
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Breakaway
A cross-cultural story of self-discovery, Breakaway is a heartwarming, action-filled comedy, bringing a dash of Bollywood to Canada’s favourite sport. With a hilarious supporting cast including comedian Russell Peters, and a special appearance from Drake, Breakaway will have you cheering for its unlikely heroes.
Director
Robert Lieberman
Lieberman’s directing credits include the feature films D3: The Mighty Ducks, Fire in the Sky and Table for Five. He has won 29 Clio Awards for his work in advertising and has directed such hit TV shows as Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle, Houdini & Doyle, Haven, The Expanse, Rogue, and Criminal Minds. Most recently, he directed the features Christmas in Tahoe, Love Stories in Sunflower Valley and Love on the Road.
Writers
Noel S. Baker, Jeffrey Alan Schechter, Matt Simmons, Vinay Virmani
Cast
Vinay Virmani, Russell Peters, Rob Lowe, Camilla Belle
Producers
Ajay Virmani, Don Carmody, Frank Siracusa
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, ESL, Family Relationships, Newcomer Stories, Sports
Original Language
English
Fubar
These two mullet-sporting, beer-chugging Alberta-based headbangers are the subject of a fictional documentary by Ferral Mitchner (Skilling), a filmmaker who follows Terry and Dean as they explore the depths of their friendship through a series of unexpected twists and turns. A fun, hilarious, and unforgettable trip into the minds of two of Canada’s most beloved comic rogues.
Director
Michael Dowse
Dowse’s credits include the cult classics Fubar, Fubar II and It’s All Gone Pete Tong. His film Goon was a huge critical and box-office success. The F Word won the CSA for Best Adapted Screenplay. Dowse also directed episodes of Man Seeking Woman, starring Jay Baruchel, the feature film Stuber, 8 Bit Christmas, and Coffee and Kareem. He is currently set to direct the film adaptation of the video game Just Cause and is developing a series about the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford.
Writers
Michael Dowse, David Lawrence, Paul Spence
Cast
Paul Spence, David Lawrence
Producers
Michael Dowse, Bryan Gliserman, David Lawrence, Mark Slone, Paul Spence
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre (My Internship in Canada)
Frozen in the spotlight, Guibord’s closest ally becomes Souverain (Exantus), his naïve intern from Haiti, who commands the situation with playful quips, charming idealism and a good dose of humour.
Written and directed by Oscar nominee Philippe Falardeau, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre’s satirical spin is a fun — and relevant — political farce. The film was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Picture, and earned the Special Jury Citation for Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Director
Philippe Falardeau
Quebecois director and screenwriter Falardeau has won more than 32 international awards for his films, which include Monsieur Lazhar, La moitié gauche du frigo, C’est pas moi, je le jure!, The Good Lie, Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre, and My Salinger Year. He also directed the TV shows Le temps des framboises, and Lac-Mégantic - ceci n’est pas un accident.
Writer
Philippe Falardeau
Cast
Patrick Huard, Suzanne Clément, Irdens Exantus
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French
Starbuck
David’s life is fast falling apart — he’s in trouble with local thugs and owes a lot of money – but his unwitting support network of children, none of whom know who David really is, give him hope to carry on as he visits them in their daily lives.
Full of heart and with tons of laughs, this French Canadian contemporary classic was remade two years later in America under the title of Delivery Man — but with its blockbusting original release, we’d argue you shouldn’t mess with perfect!
Director
Ken Scott
Writers
Ken Scott, Martin Petit
Cast
Patrick Huard, Julie LeBreton, Antoine Bertrand
Producer
André Rouleau
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
French
Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
Ricky’s girlfriend, Lucy (Lucy Decoutere), has run off, and in between his efforts to win her back, he’s also planning the boys’ biggest heist yet: a haphazard plot that finds him enlisting the help of his nerdy friend Bubbles (Smith).
Following a television series beloved by millions on both sides of the border, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie dishes up more hilarity for fans and newcomers to Dartmouth alike.
Director
Mike Clattenburg
Writers
Mike Clattenburg, Robb Wells
Cast
Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, Mike Smith, Hugh Dilllon, Lucy DeCoutere
Producers
Mike Clattenburg, Barrie Dunn, Michael Volpe, Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock
Genres
Action/Adventure, Comedy
Original Language
English
Drinkwater
Drinkwater is a fun coming of age comedy that will have you laughing and rooting for the likable cast of quirky misfits.
“…quite possibly the most Canadian film ever made.” – Chris Knight, The National Post
Director
Stephen Campanelli
Director and cinematographer Campanelli got his start as a camera operator, working on many of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood’s features, including Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Grand Torino, and others. His directing credits include Momentum, Indian Horse, Grand Isle, and most recently, Drinkwater. Next, he is set to direct The Outlaws.
Writers
Edward McDonald, Luke Fraser
Cast
Eric McCormack, Daniel Doheny, Louriza Tronco
Producers
Graham Fraser, Dennis Swartman
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Family Relationships
Original Language
English